Your Dreams, Our Knowledge...Creating Estate Plans that Work!

06/06/2012

Alzheimer’s: Stop It Before It Starts

The Federal government recently announced the commencement of a new drug trial. The trial plans to test a drug that could prevent Alzheimer’s disease by treating people who are genetically predisposed to the disease but who do not yet have symptoms. For the first time, there is real promise in a drug intended to cure the disease before is starts.

In today’s world, planning for an illness, at any age can be a challenge- both financially and legally. It is especially difficult when emotionally supporting an elderly loved who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Could you or someone you love be at risk for Alzheimer’s in the future? What would it mean to you if the disease could be “cured” before it struck? Silly question isn’t it? But this extraordinary promise, a long awaited answer to so many people’s prayers, might be possible, as reported in a New York Times article titled, “New Drug Trial Seeks to Stop Alzheimer’s Before It Starts.”

While nearly two years away from having even preliminary data, researchers have successfully isolated the genetic family bearing the Alzheimer’s blueprint and are working on a new experimental drug that could cure the problem before it strikes the millions throughout the world who carry the offending gene. Unfortunately, these breakthroughs take time, a luxury some of us don’t have.

It’s never too late to make the necessary financial and legal plans for your long-term care . As we age, so does our need to update our estate plan, in all its forms, from the more complicated to the most fundamental legal instruments (e.g., powers of attorney and advance health directives).

As always, consult competent financial and legal counsel before proceeding. This is not a DIY (do-it-yourself) exercise. Too much is at stake.